Results | Photo Gallery

Complete Results | Day Four Results | Day Four Results | Photo Gallery
BROWN DEER, Wis. - The Oakland men's and women's swimming and diving teams successfully defended their Horizon League titles Saturday evening, with the men's team extending their streak of 37 consecutive conference championships and the women posting their 21st straight league crown with their performances at the 2015 Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center.

The Oakland women increased their margin of victory to over 200 points, with an 842-606.5 lead on second place Milwaukee. The men's squad added to their lead as well, besting the second-place host Panthers 813-623.5.

The Golden Grizzlies brought home the hardware, as Jorden Merrilees and Patricia Aschan were named not only the men's and women's Swimmers of the Meet, but also the men's and women's Athletes of the Year, respectively. Tricia Grant earned Diver of the Meet honors for Oakland, and diving coach Larry Albright was named Women's Diving Coach of the Year. Head Coach Pete Hovland was selected as both the men's and women's Swimming Coach of the Year.

Oakland added to their individual wins total with seven podium finishes on Saturday and added victories in both the men's and women's 400 freestyle relay to seal their team titles.

Stirling Fordham got Oakland's momentum going with a third-place finish on the 1-meter board with a score of 344.85.

Merrilees won the men's 200 backstroke with a time of 1:43.86, improving his PR and trimming time off his NCAA "B" standard effort from earlier this season. Teammates Aleksander Danielewski (1:45.49) and John Ferrara (1:46.82) placed third and fourth, respectively.

Nikki Flynn won the women's 100 freestyle in 50.20 to move into third all-time in Oakland history and miss the Horizon League record by just four hundredths of a second. Teammates Holly Morren (50.30) and Emily Flowers (51.36) placed second and sixth for the Golden Grizzlies.

Tuomas Kiviluoma and Jeremiah Morren went 1-2 in the men's 100 freestyle with times of 44.71 and 44.72, respectively.

Takara Martin led a 1-2-4 effort for Oakland in the women's 200 breaststroke, winning in 2:13.54 for an NCAA "B" standard. Rachel Waite's 2:14.64 also hit the "B" cut for second place, and Melissa VanderMeulen finished fourth in 2:18.00.

John Schihl out-touched a pair of Wright State foes to win the men's 200 breaststroke with an NCAA "B" standard time of 1:58.44, which is second in Oakland history. Ayrton Kasemets now ranks eighth in Oakland records after finishing fourth in 2:00.60, while Hrafn Traustason took eighth in 2:02.33.

Aschan raced to a win in the women's 200 butterfly with a time of 2:01.65, while teammates Stella Pasalidou (2:04.11) and Hannah Oswald (2:05.44) placed fourth and seventh, respectively.

Mitch Alters turned in an NCAA "B" cut in the men's 200 butterfly, winning in 1:47.65 and moved into fourth all-time in Oakland records. Mario Rusnak (1:49.96) and Aaron Helander (1:50.63) finished fourth and sixth.

The women's 400 freestyle relay team of Flynn, Flowers, Rietveld and Morren won with a time of 3:21.63 to set a new Horizon League record and rank second all-time in Oakland history.

For the men, Kiviluoma, Morren, Andrew Binder and Merrilees touched first in 2:56.74, which is third-best in Oakland records.

Freshmen of the Year: Brie Hines, UIC (W); Mitch Stover, Wright State (M)
Divers of the Meet: Tricia Grant, Oakland (W); K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
Swimmers of the Meet: Patricia Aschan, Oakland (W); Jorden Merrilees, Oakland (M)
Athletes of the Year: Patricia Aschan, Oakland (W);Jorden Merrilees, Oakland (M)
Diving Coaches of the Year:Larry Albright, Oakland (W); Todd Hill, Milwaukee (M)
Swimming Coach of the Year:Pete Hovland, Oakland (W, M)

Men's Team Scores
1. Oakland 813
2. Milwaukee 623.5
3. Wright State 530
4. Green Bay 502.5
5. UIC 475
6. Cleveland State 456
7. Valparaiso 126

Women's Team Scores
1. Oakland 842
2. Milwaukee 606.5
3. Green Bay 573
4. UIC 457
5. Wright State 363
6. Youngstown State 345
7. Cleveland State 243.5
8. Valparaiso 164



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